XIX.

Chemistry, High School

 High School Chemistry Test
The spring 2015 high school Chemistry test was based on learning standards in the Chemistry content
strand of the Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2006). These
learning standards appear on pages 69–73 of the Framework, which is available on the Department
website at www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/current.html.

Chemistry test results are reported under the following four MCAS reporting categories:

■ Atomic Structure and Periodicity

■ Bonding and Reactions

■ Properties of Matter and Thermochemistry

■ Solutions, Equilibrium, and Acid-Base Theory

The table at the conclusion of this chapter indicates each item’s reporting category and the framework
learning standard it assesses. In order to support future test development, items from the spring 2015
Chemistry test are not included in this publication. The omission of these items will have no impact on
the reporting of results.

Test Sessions
The high school Chemistry test included two separate test sessions, which were administered on
consecutive days. Each session included multiple-choice and open-response questions.

Reference Materials and Tools

Each student taking the high school Chemistry test was provided with a Chemistry Formula and Constants
Sheet/Periodic Table of the Elements. Copies of both sides of this formula sheet appear on the following
pages.

Each student also had sole access to a calculator with at least four functions and a square-root key.

During both Chemistry test sessions, the use of bilingual word-to-word dictionaries was allowed for current
and former English language learner students only. No other reference tools or materials were allowed.

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 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System
Chemistry Formula and Constants Sheet

Common Polyatomic Ions

Ion Ionic Formula

Ammonium NH4

Carbonate CO32-

Hydroxide OH-

Nitrate NO3-

Phosphate PO43-

Sulfate SO42-

P1 V1 P2 V2
Combined Gas Law:
T1 T2
Ideal Gas Law: PV nRT
Dilution Formula: M1V1 M2V2
Molar Volume of Ideal Gas at STP: 22.4 L/mol
Ideal Gas Constant: R 0.0821 L • atm/mol • K 8.31 L • kPa/mol • K
STP: 1 atm (101.3 kPa), 273 K (0°C)
Absolute Temperature Conversion: K °C 273
Definition of pH: pH log [H3O ] log [H ]
Avogadro’s Number: 6.02 1023 particles/mol

Nuclear Symbols

Name Symbol

Alpha particle or 42 He

Beta particle or −01 e

Gamma ray
1
Neutron 0n

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 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System

Group (Family) Periodic Table of the Elements

1A 8A
1 18
1.01 4.00

H Key: He
1 1 2
atomic weight
Hydrogen Symbol Helium
2A atomic number 3A 4A 5A 6A 7A
1 2 13 14 15 16 17
Name
6.94 9.01 10.81 12.01 14.01 16.00 19.00 20.18

2
Li Be B C N O F Ne
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Lithium Beryllium Boron Carbon Nitrogen Oxygen Fluorine Neon
22.99 24.31 26.98 28.09 30.97 32.06 35.45 39.95

Na Mg 8B Al Si P S Cl Ar
3 3B 4B 5B 6B 7B 1B 2B
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Sodium Magnesium 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Aluminum Silicon Phosphorus Sulfur Chlorine Argon
39.10 40.08 44.96 47.88 50.94 52.00 54.94 55.85 58.93 58.69 63.55 65.39 69.72 72.59 74.92 78.96 79.90 83.80

K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr

Period
4
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

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Potassium Calcium Scandium Titanium Vanadium Chromium Manganese Iron Cobalt Nickel Copper Zinc Gallium Germanium Arsenic Selenium Bromine Krypton
85.47 87.62 88.91 91.22 92.91 95.94 (98) 101.07 102.91 106.42 107.87 112.41 114.82 118.71 121.75 127.60 126.91 131.29

5 Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe
37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54
Rubidium Strontium Yttrium Zirconium Niobium Molybdenum Technetium Ruthenium Rhodium Palladium Silver Cadmium Indium Tin Antimony Tellurium Iodine Xenon
132.91 137.33 178.49 180.95 183.85 186.21 190.23 192.22 195.08 196.97 200.59 204.38 207.2 208.98 (209) (210) (222)

6 Cs Ba Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn
55 56 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86
Cesium Barium Hafnium Tantalum Tungsten Rhenium Osmium Iridium Platinum Gold Mercury Thallium Lead Bismuth Polonium Astatine Radon
(223) (226) (267) (268) (271) (272) (277) (276) (281) (280)

Fr Ra Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt Ds Rg
7 87 88 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111
Francium Radium Rutherfordium Dubnium Seaborgium Bohrium Hassium Meitnerium Darmstadtium Roentgenium

Mass numbers in parentheses are those of the most stable or most common isotope.
138.91 140.12 140.91 144.24 (145) 150.36 151.96 157.25 158.93 162.50 164.93 167.26 168.93 173.04 174.97

Lanthanide Series La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu
57 58 59 60 61 63
62 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71
Lanthanum Cerium Praseodymium Neodymium Promethium Samarium Europium Gadolinium Terbium Dysprosium Holmium Erbium Thulium Ytterbium Lutetium
(227) 232.04 231.04 238.03 (237) (244) (243) (247) (247) (251) (252) (257) (258) (259) (262)

Actinide Series Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103
Actinium Thorium Protactinium Uranium Neptunium Plutonium Americium Curium Berkelium Californium Einsteinium Fermium Mendelevium Nobelium Lawrencium

*Revised based on IUPAC Commission on Atomic Weights and Isotopic Abundances, “Atomic Weights of the Elements 2007.”
 High School Chemistry
Spring 2015 Items:
Reporting Categories and Standards

Item No. Reporting Category Standard

1 Bonding and Reactions 5.1
2 Solutions, Equilibrium, and Acid-Base Theory 7.1
3 Bonding and Reactions 4.3
4 Properties of Matter and Thermochemistry 6.4
5 Bonding and Reactions 5.2
6 Properties of Matter and Thermochemistry 6.3
7 Solutions, Equilibrium, and Acid-Base Theory 7.5
8 Atomic Structure and Periodicity 2.2
9 Bonding and Reactions 8.4
10 Properties of Matter and Thermochemistry 1.1
11 Bonding and Reactions 4.2
12 Bonding and Reactions 5.6
13 Atomic Structure and Periodicity 2.1
14 Properties of Matter and Thermochemistry 1.2
15 Solutions, Equilibrium, and Acid-Base Theory 8.2
16 Properties of Matter and Thermochemistry 1.3
17 Atomic Structure and Periodicity 2.6
18 Solutions, Equilibrium, and Acid-Base Theory 7.2
19 Bonding and Reactions 4.5
20 Atomic Structure and Periodicity 2.5
21 Properties of Matter and Thermochemistry 6.5
22 Properties of Matter and Thermochemistry 6.1
23 Bonding and Reactions 5.5
24 Solutions, Equilibrium, and Acid-Base Theory 8.3
25 Properties of Matter and Thermochemistry 1.3
26 Bonding and Reactions 4.6
27 Bonding and Reactions 5.4
28 Bonding and Reactions 4.1
29 Solutions, Equilibrium, and Acid-Base Theory 7.3
30 Atomic Structure and Periodicity 3.4
31 Properties of Matter and Thermochemistry 6.2
32 Atomic Structure and Periodicity 2.3
33 Atomic Structure and Periodicity 2.1
34 Atomic Structure and Periodicity 3.2
35 Atomic Structure and Periodicity 2.7
36 Bonding and Reactions 5.3
37 Properties of Matter and Thermochemistry 1.2
38 Solutions, Equilibrium, and Acid-Base Theory 8.1
39 Solutions, Equilibrium, and Acid-Base Theory 7.4
40 Atomic Structure and Periodicity 3.3

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Item No. Reporting Category Standard
41 Atomic Structure and Periodicity 3.1
42 Atomic Structure and Periodicity 2.4
43 Properties of Matter and Thermochemistry 6.1
44 Properties of Matter and Thermochemistry 6.3
45 Solutions, Equilibrium, and Acid-Base Theory 7.6

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